Documenting the American South invites you to celebrate Women's History Month by remembering the valiant struggles of the women's suffrage movement in North Carolina and beyond.

One of the most outspoken advocates for women's rights in North Carolina was state Supreme Court chief justice Walter McKenzie Clark (1846-1924). In 1913, Clark spoke to the Federation of Women's Clubs about the legal status of women, a status that he compared to slavery. Then, in 1915, Clark wrote a dissenting judicial opinion that specifically defended the rights of women to be notaries public, but called for broader political rights for women in general. This sentiment is also evident in his 1916 address, Ballots for Both.